Enjoy the city’s holiday look
There’s nothing more magical than seeing St. Pete decked out in all its glory – with holiday lights and decorations, bustling fairs on every corner, and, of course, the star of the celebration – the retro-themed fir tree in front of the Hermitage. Nevsky Prospekt and Palace Square are where the magic happens but all of St. Pete is fully ready to greet the new year, from the downtown to the suburbs, so even your routine commute can turn into a stroll full of holiday spirit.
Get merry at the market
Holiday-themed markets shine bright around New Year as go-to places for last-minute shopping and active hangouts with friends and family. For when you want to go all-out, head to the Christmas market at Manezhnaya Square for a trdelník (a sweet cake) or špekáček (a roasted sausage); Market at Nikolskiye Ryady for a ride on a merry-go-round or a go on a slide; Christmas Bazaar at New Holland Island for a gift hunt and a yummy bite; Art Market at Yelagin Island for ice skating and handmade finds; or New Year’s Pop Up at Sevkabel Port for hot beverages and delicacies from around the globe – all working through the holiday week.
Skate to your heart’s content
Aside from everything else, the city offers a range of ice rinks for any liking, skating skills, and even view preferences, with the most-visited being:
-
Ice Rink by the Sea at Sevkabel Port (a marine view, 540-780 rubles + a skates rental);
-
New Holland Ice Rink (downtown location, themed sessions, 700 or 350 rubles for students + a skates rental);
-
The ice rink on Yelagin Island (an astounding area amidst nature, 0-400 rubles + a park ticket and skates rental);
-
Ice Rink by the Flagpole (a brand-new location with a scenic view of the gulf, 0-550 or 0-450 rubles for students + a skates rental);
-
Forest Ice Rink at Okhta Park (10 km away from the city, 500,000+ sq. m. skating area with a breathtaking nature view, 700-1,100 rubles + a skates rental).
Take part in a festive extravaganza
The holiday week off is the perfect time to catch up on all the events in the city. Before New Year’s or after, once the venues are back in business (staring January 2 or so), you can make the most of the holiday season by:
-
exploring the history of Christmas at a Christmas exhibition at Annenkirche (500-700 rubles or 350 rubles for students);
-
enjoying an open-air light installation at The Garden of Light. The Jurassic at the St. Petersburg Botanical Garden (650 or 550 rubles for students);
-
finally making it to one of the many ongoing exhibitions at Erarta (currently on: Little Girl and Tom the Cat by Andrey Prokhorov, A Brilliant Epoch. Italian Fashion of the 1980s by Alberta Tiburzi, and many others), ROSPHOTO (currently on: Peter the Great's St. Petersburg and Punktum), Sevkabel Port (currently on: Aleksei Balabanov. Immersive exhibition and Banksy exhibition), or any other, less popular yet no less fun museums from here;
-
taking in a live-music concert (rock, jazz, soundtracks from Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings, and more) with a fantastic view on the Gulf of Finland;
Stay tuned to learn our picks for ways to keep yourself busy when it’s too cold outside. Coming next week!
